Reversing mechanism for motor-vehicles.



No. 679,097. Patented my 23, I901.

w. VAN WAGDNER. REVERSING HECHAMSM FUR MOTOR VEHICLES.

' (Application filed Apr. 26. 1901.)

(No Modal.)

,TizI/en a7. M

1y: wanna "TI" 00.. P'Mo aum" wxsmncmx, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM VAN VVAGONER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CENTURY MOTORVEHICLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 679,097, dated July 23,1901.

Application filed April 26, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM VAN WAG- 0NER,a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ReversingMechanism for MotorVehicles,of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to the reversing-gear of the engines which areemployed for the propulsion of motor-vehicles. The reversing mechanismof such engines is usually provided with a reversing-lever which isshifted by hand and locked in the forward or backward position or in theintermediate stop position by engagement with a notched segment.Sometimes this lever is disengaged from the segment and shifted by ajolt of the vehicle, and sometimes the lever is shifted inadvertently tothe wrong position, so that the vehicle backs when it is intended to goahead, or vice versa. Either of these happenings is likely to result inaccidents.

The object of my invention is to hold the reversing-lever securely inthe forward posiiion except when it is held in the backward position bythe operator and to return it au tomatically to the forward position assoon as it is released, thereby preventing the vehicle from goingbackward except while the reversing-lever is held in the backwardposition by the operator.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of my improved reversing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in .both figures.

A indicates the body of a motor-vehicle of any description; B, the frameof a steam-engine secured thereto in any suitable manner; C, the linksof the valve-gear arranged transversely side by side within theengineframe; D, the forward eccentric rods; DY, the backwardeccentric-rods; E, the longitudinal rock-shaft, which is journaled inthe engine-frame, for shifting the links of the valve-gear; c, theactuating rock-arm, by which said rock-shaft is shifted; F, rock-armssecured to said shaft, and G rods which con- Serial N0- 57,555. (Nomodel.)

nect said arms with the links. All of these parts may be of any suitableconstruction.

H is the reversing-lever, which is arranged in the lower portion of thevehicle, so as to be conveniently depressed by the foot. This lever issecured to a transverse rock-shaft I in any suitable mannerfor instance,by pressing the lever upon the shaft. The rockshaft I is journaled inbearings t' t", which are preferably secured to. a cross-bar i =of thebodyframe of the vehicle. The long arm h of the lever projects forwardlyand upwardly and is provided with a foot-plate h, and the short arm h ofthe lever projects rearwardly and is connected with the arm e of therock-shaft E of the valve-gear by any suitable means.

As shown in the drawings, the rear arm h ofthe foot-lever is connectedwith the rock-arm e by two short links K L, each having its two pivotsarranged at right angles to each other, so as to form a flexibleconnection.

In the raised position of the front arm h of the foot-lever, as shown inthe drawings, the valve-gear stands in the forward or go-ahead position.The foot-lever is held in this position by a spring which issufliciently stiff to hold the valve-gear securely in this position andsufficiently yielding to allow the foot-lever to be depressed forshifting the valve-gear to the backward position. A sim ple andconvenient way of applying this spring is shown in the drawings andconsists in arranging a coiled spring M around the rockshaft I of thefoot-lever and connecting one end m of the spring to a fixed part-forinstance, the bearing i of the rock-shaft I-and the other end on to thefoot-lever.

When no pressure is applied to the reversing-lever, the valve-gear isheld in the goahead position by the spring. In order to shift thevalve-gear to the backward position, the foot-lever is depressed. Thevalve-gear remains in this position only so long as the pressure isapplied to the reversing-lever. As soon as the lever is released thevalve-gear is returned to the forward position by the spring. Thevehicle therefore runs normally forward and runs backward only so longas the operator holds the reversing-lever in the backward position. Byarranging the reversinglever in the form of a foot-lever the control ofthe vehicle is rendered very easy andconvenient.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination with the reversiblevalve-gear of an engine, and the reversinglever, of a spring which holdssaid lever in the forward position but permits the lever to be moved tothe backward position and returns the lever automatieally to the forwardnosition when released, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the reversible;

valve-gear of an engine, of a reversingfootlover, a rock-shaft to whichsaid lever is secured, and a spring having one end connect-

